Chicken 65

This Chicken 65 recipe has crispy nuggets drenched in a tangy tomato-based sauce and spiced with green chilies and curry leaves. It makes a great appetizer or even a weeknight dinner, complete with rice and my Pakistani tadka dal.

What Exactly is Chicken 65?

Well, as the story has it, Chicken 65 is actually a creation of a restaurateur from Chennai, India. It is a spicy, deep-fried, flour-coated chicken dish that was originally created as an appetizer. 

Unlike saucier dishes like chicken karahi or this tandoori chicken curry, chicken 65 is drier and more closely resembles chicken teriyaki.

I first had it at a friend’s place and have been hooked ever since.

Chicken 65 Ingredient Notes

Chicken: Having tried this with all cuts of chicken (breast, bone-in thighs, tenders, and boneless thighs), I highly recommend using boneless, skinless chicken thighs. I pretty much recommend chicken thighs for all Pakistani chicken recipes. My chicken seekh kabab recipe is a case in point. Cut them into bite-sized pieces for even frying. 

Flour: We are keeping it gluten-free with arrowroot flour. The recipe is pretty close to my gluten-free chicken nuggets recipe with a few exceptions.

Spices: Red chili powder, turmeric, salt, and garlic powder.

Curry leaves and green chilies: These are key to getting the authentic Chicken 65 flavor.

Mustard seeds: Optional but great for aesthetic purposes.   

Tomato sauce: This is also known as passata. It is not ketchup:)

How to make Chicken 65

• Begin by marinating the chicken in red chili powder, salt, and garlic powder. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. 

• Meanwhile, prepare the coating and the remaining ingredients.

• Whisk the egg and measure out the arrowroot flour. Slice the green chilies and have the curry leaves handy. 

• Take the chicken out of the fridge, add the whisked egg to the bowl, and mix to combine and coat the chicken pieces. Next, add the flour and repeat. 

• Heat some neutral oil on medium-high heat (about 3 tablespoons if you want to shallow-fry) in a cast-iron skillet or heavy-bottomed pan. Once the oil is heated, fry the chicken in batches. Each side takes about 4 minutes to cook through. Flip once browned and fry the other side. Drain on a cookie sheet lined with a rack or paper towel. 

• Once all the chicken is fried, heat a shallow stir-fry pan and add about 1 tablespoon of oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add the curry leaves and green chilies. Sauté till they are both browned. Using a slotted spoon, take them out and drain next to the chicken pieces. 

• Now add the mustard seeds and saute for about 20 seconds. You may need to use a splatter guard as they can pop all over the place. 

• Next, add the minced ginger and garlic. Sauté for about 30 seconds till aromatic and then add the red chili powder, salt, and turmeric. Sauté for 20 seconds and finally add the tomato sauce. Mix to combine. 

• Once the sauce is ready ( the oil will rise to the top), simply take the chicken, curry leaves, and green chilies and add them to the pan. Toss them in the sauce, and your Chicken 65 is ready! Enjoy on its own as an appetizer/snack or serve with daal and rice for dinner! 

More snack recipes to try:

Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets

Chicken Quesadillas

Pakistani Club Sandwiches

If you try this recipe, I'd really appreciate it if you could rate it below! And let me know in the comments how it worked out for you. I love seeing your creations!